on the safest ledge
by PerfectPerception
Summary: Because without one another they're all just a little broken. Twenty Truths about Oliver, Lilly, and Miley and the dynamics of their friendship. Various pairings implied.


**Notes:** Hmmm, I don't know what compelled me to write about twenty truths regarding Oliver, Lilly, and Miley, but I felt like I needed to. There's several pairings used in this, some more heavily implied than others. Interpret them how you want; the story focuses more on their friendship which contains a few cracks and scratches here and there. It isn't perfect, you might find yourself hating either Lilly or Miley from time to time. I'd say Oliver too, but his character is just too gosh darn adorable for you _not_ like him.  
**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to Disney and the title is borrowed from the ever so lovely band Copeland.

**1.**  
When Miley initially arrives in Malibu she's small, scared, and cowering behind her lethargic, clumsy looking brother. Her hair is in tight brown curls, unable to resist the coast's offered humidity, and there's terror flashing before her astounding gleaming blue eyes.

When strangers get too close she clings onto her brother and squeezes her eyes shut, praying away the drowning feeling consuming her petite little body. She didn't want to move here, she didn't want to start over, she didn't want to feel even more _alone_ and _scared_ than before.

_Daddy's only doing what he thinks is best_.

For _himself_, she adds in an astringent afterthought that tastes sour on the tip of her tongue.

She's thinking too hard and too bitterly for her to hear the sweet, soft little voice that wants to tear away the fear surging through her veins and only acknowledges it when her brother roughly nudges her. She opens one eye in response, peering at the girl in front of her. Her lips thin but she doesn't turn away. She's not _that_ rude, after all.

"Hey! I'm Lilly and I just saw your moving truck—well, I think that's your moving truck at least. I mean, no one else wears tennis shoes to the beach and I don't think I've seen you around before so you _must _be new or, at least, a hermit or something until today! Anyway, I'm Lilly—wait, I think I already said that so—"

Miley can't seem to reach the girl's words that are stretching too high above them. All she notices is that the girl is blonde and bubbly and bounces from one foot to other impatiently as she speaks.

"—I'll just say this is Oliver! Anyway, Oliver and I have lived here since, like, forever, I guess. So it's pretty cool that you're moving here and all. We need some new faces, you know? I'm almost eleven, Oliver's eleven, how old are you? You don't look too old—maybe around our age or something. And—"

"Will you just shut _up _already?" Jackson pleads before Miley can. "Dangit, your mouth's just like Uncle Earl's nose on a cold, winter day. It never stops running!"

There's a pause and Miley wants to strangle her brother more than ever. He probably just cost her any type of social interaction she'd actually be blessed with while residing in Malibu. But instead of Lilly scowling and stalking off with Oliver trailing behind, she screeches with laughter and asks for Miley and Jackson to tell her more jokes about their lovable Uncle Earl.

**2.**  
Oliver would be the first one to say he loved Lilly like she was his own sister but he'd also the first one to tell you she just didn't know when to _close her mouth_. Of course, he usually strays away from the idea of telling such a thing to her face. She'd probably deck him or something.

But Oliver thinks he really likes this new girl with curly brown hair and Nike tennis shoes and believes that they could _definitely_ be friends in the future. But Lilly's kind of ruining his ideas because Miley's brother is right and her mouth just doesn't stop talkingtalkingtalking. He wants to put in a few good words about himself, but Lilly feeds the two Southerners with the several incidents when he tripped in the school hallways or was caught picking his nose in class.

Then he doesn't want to tell Lilly to shut up anymore. He wants to _kill_ her.

He wasn't really listening to whatever his blonde best friend was babbling on about earlier, but he _does_ hear her ask, as Miley and Jackson give them a tour around their mansion, with little thought or concern. "Your dad's pretty cool and all. But where's your mom?"

Jackson tarries in his place and Miley's soft face hardens upon instant. "She's _dead_," the brunette hisses out.

Oliver closes his eyes as Lilly gasps beside him. His heart aches a little from the fixed pain in Miley's voice and he knows then that he and Lilly _have_ to be her friend. There's really no reason behind his determination, but he just knows that they all need to be friends. Somehow, someway.

**3.**  
It's been five months, four days, and two hours since Miley was welcomed quite generously into Lilly's life.

They're not that close, not really on the same friendship level as Oliver and her are. But her and Oliver have five years of history behind them, so it's understandable.

It isn't until her mother and father sit her down for dinner one day, exactly five months, four days, and two hours since the day she met Miley, and she hears the word that sears itself into her ears until they pound so loudly and painfully they're about to burst.

_Divorce_.

She pushes her plate off the wooden table, jumps out of her chair before either of her parents can restrain her, and bolts out of her house painted with white and lies. She doesn't know where she's running to exactly, but finds herself on the porch of Miley's house and begins to frantically pound on the front door.

Miley is the one who answers and Lilly's a little thankful that the brunette does, because she can't hold herself up anymore and collapses into Miley's arms and begins to sob for all she's worth. Miley ushers the blonde in and hugs the shattered girl, never once asking what was wrong, just asking what she could do to fix what happened.

"They're divorcing, Miley! Divorcing! They said they were doing better! They lied lied lied lied lied lied! I _hate_ them!"

Miley's soft grip loosens and she pulls Lilly away from her. "Don't you _ever_ say you hate your parents, Lilly."

"But—"

"If you say you hate them one more time, I will _never _talk to you again."

Lilly doesn't repeat the words but she also doesn't understand either. Not until Oliver tells her later on the phone that night Miley's mother died… and the last thing Miley said wasn't goodbye, it was _I hate you for doing this to us_, does Lilly hate _herself _for being so selfish.

Without a word she races to Miley's house, pounds her clenched fists on the door until they're red and her throat is raw from screaming, and flings herself on Miley when her friend once again answers the door.

It's been five months, four days, and two hours since Miley was just a friend.

It's been about fifteen minutes since she became Lilly's best friend.

**4.**  
Being completely honest with herself, Miley likes being Hannah Montana… _or maybe she doesn't_.

She likes to dress up in all her riches, show the world her talent, and _consume herself in her other identity_.

She likes the gold and the glitter, the fans and the celebrities, and _her fake and her even faker friends_.

She likes the limos, the high priced champagne she sips on when her dad isn't looking, and _the beat up shoes Lilly and Oliver mock_.

Miley likes being Hannah Montana… _Lilly and Oliver are going to hate me if they ever find out. They're going to love Hannah. They're going to use me. They're going to ruin Hannah_… or maybe she doesn't.

**5.**  
Oliver falls in love about three times a day.

It's a bit complicated on _why_ he does, but it's pretty easy _how_ he does.

He simply looks at the lunch special for the day and then to the two girls that always manage to find themselves at his side.

**6.**  
Secrets are meant to be told.

Lilly wants to cry and laugh and break all her false illusions about Hannah Montana when she discovers Miley's well kept secret. She thinks she should be disappointed in Miley but then she thinks she should be disappointed in herself too. Because Miley's not the only person that keeps secrets to herself.

One.  
Miley is Hannah Montana.

Two.  
Oliver draws hearts over his math homework with Ashley DeWitt's name in them.

Three.  
Lilly isn't happy with her parents' divorce, which is understandable. But what isn't understandable is that she wishes one of them were dead, like Miley's mom.

Four.  
She only wishes that because then she wouldn't have to _see their smiling faces_ every other day. Because if her dad is going to walk out on them, then he might as well erase his entire existence from her and her mother's lives. And if her mom is going to continuously bad mouth him in public and private, she might as well as give up on the family that once used to be so happy.

Five.  
Lilly forgets most of her secrets.

**7.**  
Miley is bitter.

Sometimes the eating feeling enrages her so much, she scribbles all over her papers and homework and desk until her markers no longer contain ink. Sometimes she pounds her hands against her closed windows and screams because she _should_ be happy, because she has every-fucking-thing, but she isn't.

She hates herself more when Oliver spots her from his house just down the street and runs over, never bothers to tell Lilly that he's at their best friend's house, and demands to come in.

She refuses and he eventually leaves.

They never tell Lilly. They're ashamed for their own reasons.

Miley's just not thankful enough. Oliver's just not dependable enough.

**8.**  
Grin. Smile. Bear it.

If Lilly could steal Jake away from Miley, she probably would. And Miley probably wouldn't mind, to be truthful.

It's just an image kind of thing they like to dress themselves up with.

Once upon a time, Miley really _did _like Jake.

Once upon a time, Jake really _did _chase after an unreachable girl.

Grin. Jake brushes his lips against Miley's forehead.

Smile. Miley squeals in delight.

Bear it. Lilly gushes about of much they complement one another.

**9.**  
There's music notes painted all around her mirror. She's almost done with her new song.

When Miley writes her songs, she usually imprints her thoughts into tangible words with a black eyeliner pencil over her mirror until her reflection becomes distorted with thousands of words. It's usually her dad that writes and creates the music Hannah uses. And she understands that, so after every completed song, she dampens a cloth from her bathroom and wipes the mirror clean from her thoughts.

It's like she's cleansing her soul. She then smiles her bright smile, flips her hair over her shoulder, and calls Lilly and Oliver to say goodnight.

**10.**  
Oliver remembers the first time he ever heard Lilly sing… and he has the scar to prove it, too.

He had traipsed into her room without knocking once and found her in front of her burrow, her radio cranked on loud, a hairbrush held tightly between her fingers, and her voice rising to octaves that made his head swim with… He couldn't think any farther about how sick her voice made him feel. It was too late to turn back; she had just spun around and screamed at his unannounced presence. Oliver then recalls being pushed down the last three stairs leading up to her room and his elbow colliding into the tiled floor beneath him.

"It kinda looks cool though," Jackson comments. Miley glances at her brother with a bewildered expression. "Chicks _dig_ scars, you know? Especially ugly ones."

"Oh really?" Miley quips. "Then why haven't any girls chased after you yet? You got that big ugly scar on your neck, doncha?"

"Scar? What scar?"

"Oh, so that's just your face. Not a scar. My _bad_."

Oliver feels another scar ready to form when Miley jumps across his lap in order to dodge the CD Jackson threw at her in retaliation to her snide remark.

**11.**  
Lilly is pretty sure she, Miley, and Oliver tell each other almost everything. It's a bit inevitable anyways. One always finds out and tells the other anyway. But sometimes, when she's laughing and teasing her friends, she finds a little glint of doubt gnawing at her heart as she watches how Miley's fingers touch Oliver's arm and how Oliver's smiles become slightly crooked when he glances at Miley. Lilly then blinks and giggles away the feeling, because if they would've _told _her, right?

"You're such a doughnut!" Miley squeals when Oliver nods smoothly at a few passing girls and squirts ketchup over his shirt.

Lilly smiles. Whether they are or they're not, she doesn't mind.

She thinks she knows the answer anyways.

**12.**  
There's just something about his pet names he has for _her_. Miley sighs.

She's only _just_ Miley to him.

**13.**  
They're _hot_.

Let's be truthful here.

Oliver Oken has two hot best friends. And that isn't an overstatement.

It's only nature for him to be linked to either of the two. The rumors usually die down, though, because Miley finds herself a new boyfriend to cling onto and Lilly's usually seen pushing Oliver down the stairs or yelling at him that doesn't look like "a couple bickering" just Lilly verbally abusing the poor boy.

He does allow his mind to wander, though, from time to time about the idea of dating one of his best friends.

He thinks about how Lilly looks like after she's just risen up from the skate bowl at the park with her cheeks flushed and her hair astray and slightly damp and he thinks about how Miley looks when she takes off her Hannah wig after a performance and allows her brown tresses to cascade down her thin neck and shoulders with her glamorized makeup shinning under the limo's dim lights.

He then smacks the palm of his hand against his forehead and tells himself how stupid he is.

Well, at least he's _got_ to be a little cute, right? I mean, how else is he friends with these two incredibly good looking girls?

**14.**  
The lights are brightbrightbright and bleeding into one another. The music is pounding but soundless and the room's spinning.

"Miley, _Miley_, please no more," Lilly entreaties her friend hiding under her Hannah Montana complexion. They're at a club; they're only sixteen; and they're drinking like they want to grow up even faster. The blonde, wearing a purple wig, pushes the shot glass away from the popstar and Miley groans in protest.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine!" Miley sings clumsily and reaches for the liquor. Oliver catches her hand in his instead, grasping tightly onto it and refuses to let her go.

"We know why you're doing this, Miley," he sighs, his worn teenage features gleaming beneath his Mike Standley costume. He looks tired and worried and he squeezes her hand tighter.

"It's that _day_, isn't it?" Lilly questions softly and Miley bows her head in silent torment. She places her hand on Miley, rubbing small circles on her friend's frail, heaving shoulder. "Miley, I'm so sorry. But you know she wouldn't want you to deal with it like _this_."

Miley slumps over onto Lilly and cries. "I hate her, I hate Jake, I hate daddy, I hate Jackson, I hate you, I hate Oliver, I hate Hannah, I hate _myself_."

"But we don't," Oliver quietly informs her who remains in his seat a little farther away now because Miley's taken up half of Lilly's, still clutching onto her hand like a child would hold their mother's. "We _love_ you."

Miley sobs even harder. Lilly holds her even harder. Oliver squeezes her hand even harder.

**15.**  
Crying isn't an option for men. Good thing he's just a boy.

Oliver's seen what crying is. He's seen it when his mother turned forty-one, when Lilly was stood up for a dance in junior high school, when Jake smashed Miley's heart one too many times, but he's never _done _it before.

So it's only fitting for him to experience it once. And it's because of Joannie and he doesn't know what to do when she breaks it off with him.

At first, he thinks of hitting her but she's notably a girl so that's a little unacceptable and then he thinks of throwing a stink bomb at her during school but that's really immature so he just sits down and breathes in deep.

Then he feels himself cry. And he's a guy and he probably shouldn't be crying over a girl but he can't make himself stop… that is, until Lilly messes up his hair and Miley smirks teasingly at him.

"Smoken Oken is _steaming_ now with all them tears."

"Steaming?" he repeats weakly.

"Of course," Lilly replies. "Add water to something hot, it steams."

"She's stupid, you know," Miley whispers. "Joannie, I mean."

"Stupid and Smoken just don't mix," adds the blonde.

If _this_ is what happens when you cry, Oliver thinks he might just start crying a little more often.

**16.**  
Lilly doesn't know how to describe herself. Not even a simple aspect. She assumes it's because she's either a pretty complex individual or just plain boring to even have more than one aspect about herself.

It's all right, though. She can describe her best friends just fine and that's what means the most to her anyways.

Oliver=Amazing.  
Miley=Beautiful.

Oliver and Miley both agree that:

Lilly=Perfect.

**17.**  
"Mom, I'm seventeen now. Mom, I think I might be an alcoholic but I think Lilly is one too. Mom, I just got home from a party with Lilly. Mom, we left Oliver there. Mom, I have a secret that not even Oliver or Lilly know. Mom, I don't want to be Hannah Montana anymore. Mom, I can't live up to her. Mom, Jackson's too far away now. Mom, I think Jackson dropped out of college. Mom, dad's really oblivious. Mom, dad _knows_. Everything. Mom, I… I think I finally forgive you. Mom, I just hope you forgive me."

**18.**  
It's so warm and humid. The closet is small and dark and clothes are falling all over him. Oliver's twisted in two sweaters and the shoes are turned sideways and upside down beneath his buckling knees. His hands find the end of her shirt and he slips one under, smearing his hand against her stomach. She groans in anxiety and pleasure and his lips leave hers and find her neck. He breathes his alcohol-ridden breath over her prickling, flawless skin and she gasps and withers into him.

When he wakes up he finds himself at some random kid's house, sleeping among shoes and fallen clothes. The images of last night are blurry like his current vision and when he stumbles out of the house and towards his car he feels fear strike him.

He hooked up with some girl last night.

…and it was either Miley or Lilly.

**19.**  
Lilly is seventeen when she realizes this world she loves will eventually crumble and come to an end. She's pretty sure Miley's grown sick of it and Oliver was never fond of it to begin with. And she's going to have to toss her numerous wigs aside and wait in line for entrance to clubs and pay for her own drinks and have only a few, instead of many, cute boys approach her. Then she's just going to stop going all together and focus on her studies while she's off in college, Oliver's a policeman, and Miley's doing god knows what.

But right now, with Miley gossiping beside her and Oliver stuffing his mouth with shrimp, Lilly really can't say she minds. She's enjoying _this_ moment too much.

**20.**  
Oliver, Lilly, and Miley.

They cheat. They lie. They shatter. They heal. They hate. They love. They fear. They envy.

But it's okay. Because they're just teenagers. Because they're just best friends. Because they're just whole within each other.

Because without one another they're all just a little broken.


End file.
